Controlled explosion of WWII bomb ignites Munich fires

A handout picture by the Fire Department of Munich made available on August 29, 2012 shows firefighters walking past a burning protective wall after the controlled blasting of an unexploded WWII-era bomb in Munich, Germany, early on August 29.

Feuerwehr Muenchen via EPA

Firemen extinguishing a fire which broke out in a neighboring building after the blast.

Bales of straw which had been placed around the bomb to cushion the shock of the detonation were set ablaze and thrown through the air by the detonation, according to the European Pressphoto Agency. Some of them landed on the roofs of neighboring buildings and ignited fires.

Marc Mueller / EPA

Before the controlled explosion, the bomb was covered with sand bags as nearly 3,000 people left their homes nearby.

Police in Munich say experts successfully detonated the remains of a 550-pound bomb from the Second World War on Tuesday evening.